Gas lighter



L. LAGHETTO GAS LIGHTER April 27, 1937.

Filed Feb. 20, 1934 Patented Apr. 27, 1937 PATENT OFFICE GAS LIGHTER Louis Laghetto, Somerville, Mass assignor to Albert B. Tenney, Lexington, Mass. 7

Application February 20, 1934, Serial No. 712,175

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic lighting and extinguishing apparatus for burners, and as illustrative of its utility is herein shown as applied to a conventional burner 01 the type used 5 in gas ranges, ovens, etc.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the aforesaid type which is of simple construction, reliable and eflicient in operation, which can be easily built into or assem- .10 bled with any of the conventional types of gas burners at a relatively low cost, and which dispenses with the necessity of using a pilot which remains lighted when the burner is not in use.

Other objects are to provide a lighter mechal5 nism which is operative automatically to relight the burner in event the flame is blown out or otherwise accidentally extinguished, thus insuring a lighted jet so long as the gas is turned on;

and to provide a lighter which is automatically 20 operative in conjunction with and in response to the operation of the control means for opening and closing the gas line.

Further objects-relate to the construction and operation of my new apparatus. and will be appar- 25 ent from a consideration of the following description and accompanying drawing which exemplii .fies one embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration.

In the drawing:

30 Fig. 1 is a top plan view, with parts broken away and shown in section, of a gas burner embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation with parts shown in section; and

35 Fig. 3 is a schematic wiring diagram showing the association of the diiferent parts of the apparatus. I

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral I designates a conventional two-burner gas range which com- 40 prises a main supply line II and branch lines I2 and I3 to which are connected gas burners I4 and I5, respectively. The branch lines I2 and I3 are furnished with manually operated valves I6 and I1, respectively, by means of which the gas 45 supplied to the respective burners may be regulated or adjusted so as to produce a flame of the desired size. The entire range may be supported on any suitable structure. Suitable valve means are provided for opening and closing the main 50 line II so as to control the gas supply, and to this end I preferably employ an electrically operated valve such, for example, as a solenoid or magnetic gas valve 20 which normally holds the line II closed.

55 Pilot tubes 24 and 25 are connected at one end to the branch lines I2 and I3, respectively, between the manually operated valves I6 and I1 and the bmners, and their open ends are juxtaposed to the burners as shown in Figs 1 and 2. Adjacent to its open and each pilot tube is provided with a series of longitudinally extending, spaced apertures 28 which define a gas trail (indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2) leading up to its open end.

A lighter, designated by the numeral 30, is mounted between the burners I4 and I5, as shown inFig. 1. The lighter 30 comprises a casing 3| having a removable cover or cap 32 (Fig. 2), an electrical ignition element 33 disposed within the casing, and a pair of tubular members or flash tubes 35 and 36 extending outwardly toward the pilot tubes 24 and 25, respectively, to a point closely adjacent to one of the apertures 28. The inner ends of the tubular members are preferably flared so as to embrace a larger area of the ignition element and thus direct a greater portion of the heat created thereby outwardly.

In the embodiment herein shown the lines 40 and M are connected directly to power supply lines 43, and the solenoid of valve 20 and the ignition element 33 are connected in series across 5 the lines 40 and M, as shown in Fig. 3. A manually operable switch 44 is connected in series in 5 the line 4| and is operable to open and close the circuit through lines 40 and 4|, thus controlling the operation of both the valve 20 and ignition element 33. If desired, an automatically operated switch such as a Timostat 45 may be connected in series in either the line 40 or M and,

as here shown, the Timostat 45 is connected in the line 4I between the manually operated switch 44 and the supply line 43. As both the Timostat 45 and switch 44 are connected in series in the line M and hence control the flow of current through the circuit -4I, the 'Iimostat" may be used either in place of, or in conjunction 40 with the manually operated switch 44. As the Timostat herein shown is operated by an electric motor (rather than by a spring-wound mechanical motor), it is provided with a separate circuit which includes a line 41 connected to the line 4I and a line 48 connected to the line 40.

If desired, a pilot light 42 may be connected to the line 40 and to the line 4I at a point between the switch 44 and ignition element 33 to indicate whether the switch 44 and/or Timostat 45 is open or closed.

When the switch 44 and Timostat 45 are closed, current flows through the line 40, the solenoid of the valve 20, the ignition element 33 and the line 4|, and also through the lines connecting the lines I2 and i3, the switch-44 or 'Iin'mostat 45 may be operated to close the circuits 4!] and 4|, whereupon the solenoid of the valve becomes energized, thus opening the supply line Hi and permitting a flow of gas to the burners l4 and I5 and also a fiow through the pilot tubes 24 and 25. Simultaneously with the operation of the valve 20, the ignition element 33 comes into operation and discharges heat into the tubular members 35 and 36. Part of the gas flowing through each of the pilot tubes escapes through the apertures 28 and provides a gas trail between the open end of the tubes 24 and and the outer ends of the tubular members and 36. The tubular members 35 and 36 are effective to conduct a portion of the gas thus escaping inwardly toward the ignition element 33 where it comes in contact with the heat discharged by the element 331 and consequently becomes ignited. The ignited gas within the tubular members, back fires or flashes back and lights the gas trail on the exte-- rior of the tubes 24 and 25 and in turn the gas trail lights the burners and maintains them lighted as long as the valve 20 remains open. In event either burner flame and/or its associated pilot flame blow out or otherwise become accidentally extinguished, the ignition ele merit and gas trail become efiective to relight manually operated switch 44, the operation of the:

burners is entirely automatic and the limostat may beset so as to light the burners at any desired time, and after the expiration of a predetermined period automatically shut them-off. Moreover, as the operation of the valve 20 is-subject to the same control as the ignition element, there is absolutely no danger of turning on'the gas with out turning on the ignition, and if for any reason the ignition element should fail to function, i. e., remain or go dead, then no current will flow through the solenoid of valve 20, and consequently no gas will be supplied to the burners i4 and I5. Thus the entire apparatus may be operated with perfect safety. While I have shown and described'one desirable embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the a .present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only, and that various changes in shape, proportion and. arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for'those herein shown and described, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising a supply line, a gas burner connected to said supply line, an electricalvalve in said supply line,

a pilot tube connected to said supply line between the valve and burner, the open end of. said pilot tube being juxtaposed to said burner, said pilot tube having a longitudinally extending series of spaced apertures adjacent to its open end providing a gas trail when said valve is open, and ignition means comprising an electrical ignition element spaced from said burner and a tubular member extending from said ignition element to one of said apertures, said tubular member being effective to conduct gas from said gas trail to the vicinity of said ignition element, said ignition element being operative simultaneously with the opening of said valve to ignite and maintain ignited gas escaping from said pilot tube.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising a supply line, a gas burner connected to said supply line, a normally closed valve in said supply line, a pilot tube connected to said supply line between the valve and the burner, the open end of the pilot tube being juxtaposed to said burner, said pilot tube having a longitudinally extending series of spaced apertures adjacent to its open end providing a gas trail whensaid valve is open, an electric circuit including a manually operated switch for opening and closing said circuit, an electrical ignition element connected in series in said circuit and spaced from said burner, a tubular member extending from said ignition element to one of said apertures in said pilot tube, said tubular member being effective to conduct gasfrom said gas trail to the vicinity of said ignition element, and a solenoid connected in series in said circuit and operative to open said valve when said circuit is closed, said ignition element being efiective upon the closing of said circuit to ignite-and maintain ignited gas escaping from said pilot tube.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising a supply line, a plurality of heating units each including a main burner and a pilot burner disposed adjacent to the main burner, a branch line connecting the burners of each unit with said supply line, a normally closed main valvefinthe supply line, a manually operated valve in each branch line, the pilot burners being connected to said branch lines between their associated main burners and the manually operated valves, an electrical circuit including a switch for opening and closing said circuit, electrically operated means connected in said circuit for opening said main valve, an electrical ignition element connected in said circuit in series with said electrical operating means, said ignition element being spaced from said units, and means operative when said main valve is open to conduct unignited gas escaping from the burners of the several units to the vicinity of said ignition element to cause said gas to become ignited and ignite and maintain ignited the burners of each unit whose manually operated valve is open.

4. Apparatus-oi the class described comprising a supply line, a plurality of heating units each including a main burner and a'pilot burner disposed adjacent to the main burner, a branch line connecting the burners of each unit with said supply line. a normally closed main valve in the supmeans connected in said circuit for opening said main valve, an electrical ignition element connected in said circuit in series with said electrical operating means, said ignition element being spaced from said units, and a flash tube, extending from each unit to said ignition element, the flash tubes being constructed and arranged to conduct unignited gas escaping from one of the burners of their respective units to the vicinity of the ignition element where said gas becomes ignited and flashes back, thereby igniting and. maintaining ignited the burners in each unit from which gas is escaping.

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising a supply line, a gas burner connected to said supply line, a valve in said supply line, electrical means for operating said valve, a pilot adjacent to said burner and connected to said supply line between said burner and valve, a stationary electrical resistance ignition element spaced from said pilot, said ignition element being connected with said electrical means so that when said valve is open the ignition element is turned on, and stationary means operative when said valve is open to conduct gas escaping from said pilot to the vicinity of said ignition element thereby to cause said gas to become ignited and to then conduct the flame to said pilot to ignite the gas escaping therefrom.

6. Apparatus of the class described comprising a supply line, a gas burner connected to said supply line, a valve in said supply line, electrical means for operating said valve, a pilot adjacent to said burner and connected to said supply line between said valve and burner, a stationary electrical resistance ignition element spaced from said pilot, said ignition element being connected with said electrical means so that when said valve is open the ignition element is turned on, and a stationary flash tube between said pilot and said ignition element, said flash tube being operative to conduct unignited gas escaping from said pilot towards said ignition element to cause said gas to become ignited andflash back so as to ignite and maintain ignited said pilot when said valve is open.

LOUIS LAGHE'I'IO. 

